Clock controlled contact mecha



Nov. 30, 1937. R. E. Mcc u I 2,100,664

CLOCK CONTROLLED CONTACT MECHANISM Filed Aug. 8; 1956 v 28 2 2:5 El 3 0 .F'Jg.2.

604 7 m MKM Patented Nov. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,100,664 CLOCK CONTROLLED CONTACT DECEA- NISM Robert E. McClure, Warren, Ohio, assignor, by mesne' assignments, to.The Wean Engineer- Ohi ing 00., Inc., Warren, Ohio, a corporation of Application August 8, 1936, Serial No. 94,922

6 Claims.

m ous clock-controlled contact mechanisms have been suggested heretofore, none of them with which I am familiar are particularly well suited for controlling a radio receiver. It is an object of my invention, therefore, to provide a time 15 switch specially suited for controlling a radio receiver, although it may be used with other devices as well. Y A complete understanding of the invention may be had from the following detaileddescription thereof referring to the accompanying drawing illustrating a present preferred embodiment. In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a partial front elevation of a clockcontrolled contact mechanism;

25 Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line IIII of Fig. i;

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view along the line IIII1I of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 4 and 5am sectional views similar to Fig. 30 3 showing the parts in different relative positions. Referring now in detail to the drawing, the apparatus indicated generally at H) is mounted within a case or cabinet having a front wall II. This may be the cabinet of a radio receiver or a 5 separate cabinet enclosing the control clock and mechanism only. A supporting plate I 2 is disposed rearwardly of the wall H, and may be secured thereto by any convenient The wall I l is provided with a circular window I3 40 wherein a clock dial it is disposed. A cup-like member I5 is mounted on the plate l2 concentric 'with the dial H. An arbor I5 is journaled in a hearing I! formed centrally of the cup I5, and is provided with a gear l8 whereby it may be 45 driven. The gear I8 is adapted for cooperation with a clock drive of any desired type, mechanical or electrical, the member l5 being slotted at I! to facilitate engagement between the gear l8 and the drive. An hour hand 2|] is carried on the 50 arbor l6.

A ring 2| is rotatable around the member ll, being seated on an annular bearing 22 carried thereon. The ring 2| is preferably of electrically conducting material, although this is not essen- 55 tial. The hour hand 23 carries a spring contact means, not shown.

23 which has sliding contact with the ring 2|. The hand 20, furthermore, is sprung so that it is biased toward the dial. The ring 2| has a notch 'or recess 24 therein, and when the contact 23 on the hand 20 enters the notch 24, the outer end of the hand is deflected toward the dial, as indicated in Fig. 5. The contact 23 has a down turned tip 23'.

The periphery of the ring 2| is provided'with gear teeth 25. A pinion 26 meshes with the teeth 25. Pinion 26 is mounted on a shaft 21 extending through the wall II and the plate l2, and having a knob 28 thereon whereby the ring 2| may be adjusted.

A shaft 29 is journaled in the arbor IE, but is insulated therefrom by a sleeve 30. The outer end of the shaft carries a contact hand 3| having a detent 32 engageable by the contact 23 of the hand 20, as shown in Fig. 4. The inner end of the sleeve 30 has a gear 33 thereon. The sleeve 3|! is rigid with the shaft 29 and moves therewith.

A pinion 34 is mounted on a shaft 35 having a knob 36 for operating the gear 33 and, therefore, the hand 3|. A brush 31 mounted on an insulating post 38 makes contact with-the ring 2|. Similarly, a brush 39 makes contact with the shaft 29.

The operation of the device described above requires only that the contact hand 3| be positioned, by the adjusting knob 36, to the hour when it is desired that the control circuit be closed. If the hand 3| is set at two oclock, as shown in Fig. 1, the contact 23 on the hour hand will engage the detent-32 on the hand 3| at that time, and close any control circuit connected to the brushes 3! and 39. The contact hand thereafter will move with the hour hand, maintaining the control circuit closed until the hands reach the recess 24 in the ring 2|. At that time, because of its spring-bias, the hand 20 tends to drop to the extent permitted by the depth of the -recess, interrupting the engagement between the contact 32 and the hand 20. The hand 20 may then move free of the hand 3|, being restored to 4 its normal level by the gradual slope on the outaoingside of the recess 23. The control circuit is thus closed at "the time for which the contact hand 3| is set, and opened at the time for which the recess 24 is set. The tip 23 on the contact 23 permits the pointer 3| to be moved past the ing control circuits to be closed and opened at predetermined times.

As already intimated, the ring 2| may be of non-conducting material; In such cases, the brush 3! would have to engage the arbor IE to make connection with the hand 20. Instead of mounting the pointer 3|, the ring 2| and the knobs 21 and 35 on the clock face, they may be disposed on the back of the clock. In such construction, the knobs would require pointers and dials, and an hour hand at the back of the clock would be needed to cooperate with the contact hand 3|. This and other changes in the details of the construction of the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated herein by way of example, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a clock-controlled contact mechanism, a clock hand, a contact hand insulated from the clock hand but engageable therewith to close a circuit, and means adjustable about the path of the clock hand to cause the clock hand to separate from the contact hand.

.2. A contact-timing mechanism comprising a contact finger rotatable about an axis to a predeadjustable about said axis for causing separation of the fingers at a predetermined time.

3. Contact mechanism comprising a moving contact traversing a predetermined path, a relatively fixed contact movable to any position in said path whereby to be engaged by the moving contact for closing a circuit and move with it thereafter, and means adjustable in said path for causing separation of the contacts at a predetermined time.

4..Contact mechanism comprising a pair of pointers mounted for rotation about a common axis but insulated from each other, means for advancing one pointer into engagement with the other whereby a circuit is closed and the pointers thereafter move together, and means adjustable about said axis for causing said one of said pointers to leave the other behind, breaking said circuit at a. predetermined time.

5. The combination With a clock hand, of a member normally engaged by said hand, a contact pointer adjustable to different positions in the path of said hand for engagement thereby at predetermined times, and means on said member to cause said hand to disengage said pointer, said member being adjustable to different positions in the path of said hand.

6. The combination defined by claim 5 characterized by said pointer being above said hand, and said means comprising a depression into which said hand moves to disengage the pointer.

ROBERT E. MCCLURE. 

